On the 40th day of the Holy Resurrection, the Feast of the Assumption of the Lord Jesus Christ (Hampartsum) was celebrated on Thursday, May 26, with Holy Mass (Surp Badarak) rites in the Armenian Apostolic Churches.
Patriarch of the Armenians of Turkey, Sahak II. presided over the service in the Surp Pırgiç Hospital Chapel. Deacons and readers served the Lord’s table offered by the hand of Senior Father Kevork Cinaryan. In the mass in which Surp Pırgiç Hospital Foundation President Bedros Şirinoğlu and its administrators, some church foundation administrators and a large number of believers attended, Deputy Patriarch Senior Father Krikor Damadyan, Father Zohrab Civanyan, Father Zakar Koparyan, Father Şirvan Mürzyan, Father Natan Arabian and senior reader Rober Doğanay sang the hymns.
After the Holy Offering Mass, His Beatitude the Patriarch preached in Armenian and Turkish.
After the sermons, blessings were read for Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. Afterwards, all went out of the Church in a cortege. Here, as the symbol of the four directions of the world, the “Antasdan” prayers were read by turning to the four directions. Afterwards, all went to the graves in the hospital garden and prayers for the Holy Spirit (Hokehankisd) were read for all those who sleep in the Lord, especially the founder of the Hospital, Kazaz Harutyun Amira Bezciyan, the Gulbenkian family, one of its biggest benefactors, and all those who contributed to the Hospital. The ceremony ended with the blessing of His Beatitude the Patriarch and the Lord’s prayer said together.
